Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer, P2, Bamako At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer is responsible for ensuring that IT systems and services are available and delivered consistently, reliably, and effectively. The incumbent oversees day-to-day operations and coordinates the work of multiple support groups, both internal to UNHCR, as well as, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and ensures the various MSPs (both local and corporate) and UNHCR IT staff under their supervision deliver efficient and effective systems and services in accordance to contractual obligations and best practices. Understanding the current and future needs, the incumbent ensures that the IT requirements are understood and that offices within their respective area of responsibility (AoR) have adequate IT Services to maintain communications across the organization and have the IT tools necessary to support their work. The incumbent has regular contact with MSPs (globally and locally within the AoR), with other Service Delivery Managers (SDMs), with Solution Engineers, with vendors, and all Services of DIST. S/he understands and communicates the UNHCR IT strategy and vision, policies, and decisions throughout the AoR in a positive manner and leads by example in the adherence and adoption. The Associate IT Service Delivery Management Officer establishes and sustains relationships with respective business leaders & management in order to achieve technical and business strategic alignment. S/he may have supervisory responsibility for other IT staff both directly and in a matrixed structure. The specific reporting relationships may vary based on the size and structure of the Operation and will be specified in the Operational Context; the incumbent may receive functional direction and advice from the functional Division. Travel within the AoR is an integral part of this function, sometimes at short notice and potentially for extended periods of time, particularly when supporting an emergency.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

Within the Area of Responsibility:

– Oversee daily Business-As-Usual operational decisions, including; incident, problem, change, service request, and asset management.

– Prepare an IT Operations Plan and forecast annual IT budget needs; including lifecycle management, application licensing, maintenance, recurring and capital expenditures ¿ providing input to the Annual Programme Review.

– Ensure compliance with Service Management and IT security policies and standards, technical architecture, and service level agreements ¿ reporting non-compliance as appropriate

– Monitor Service Level performance targets (internal and external); including, follow up, validation, and audit of results.

– Serve as primary escalation point for end-user and operational issues (Incidents & Service Requests) not resolved within established SLA’s; coordinate with MSPs to expedite resolution including prioritization and escalation of SLA performance breaches to supervisor or responsible service tower owner.

– Work closely with UNHCR SDMs and MSPs to carry out problem management and root cause analysis and prevent recurrence of critical problems by executing approved changes.

– Review and validate that Change Management processes are adhered to by both staff and MSPs. Ensure that change, test, and release processes are properly planned and executed. Approve installation of new or upgraded systems and services. Support deployments and testing of new IT components.

– Recommend, and implement approved, service delivery process improvements. Define support processes in accordance with ITIL best-practices.

– Maintain accurate inventory of all IT equipment for all sites and ensure relevant Asset Management policies and guidelines are followed and the ITSM databases are up-to-date.

– Maintain accurate inventory of all locally developed applications and systems and report in the central registry.

– Leverage the broader IT community (UNHCR, UN agencies, partners and external providers) to deliver the most efficient and cost-effective solutions to the business. May represent UNHCR IT in inter-agency and other external meetings.

– Ensure solutions are of high-quality from a technical perspective and that end-user support is responsive and effective.

– Monitor, analyse, and report on system and infrastructure performance and capacity in a timely manner and ensure that service owner take appropriate action.

– Track expenditures against budgets, prepare forecasts, and verify invoices from service providers and suppliers against SLA performance targets before payment is approved. Participate in periodic performance review meetings with partners.

– Provide accurate and timely information on operational status and reports to management.

– Ensure Audit recommendations and actions are completed in a timely manner.

– Assist in drafting requests for proposals and reviewing support contracts including SLAs, SOPs, and OGs. Additional duties for Country Operations positions

– Liaise and negotiate, when necessary, with relevant regulatory bodies to ensure all required permissions to operate UNHCR networks are granted.

– Promote partnership with sister Agencies, Implementing Partners, NGOs and other operational partners in consultation with Regional Bureau/Country Representative/DIST, Headquarters.

– Report on regularly to the Regional Bureau, Senior IT Service Delivery Management Officer.

– Coordinate with UNHCR offices for logistic support to clear IT equipment and accessories for speedy deployment.

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience / Degree Level For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education *Information & Communications Technologies; *Computer Science; *Information Systems; *Information Technologies; Project Management; or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses *ITIL V3 Foundation Project Management (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

– Experience in IT including managing IT service delivery with SLA based delivery of both centralized and decentralized applications, systems, and services.

– Good understanding and practical experience of ITIL Service Operations processes driven by continuous improvement. – Experience working with business partners to understand how IT affects an organization and link it to business processes and operational tasks.

– Ability to influence, manage and lead negotiations with stakeholders. Strong interpersonal skills that include effective communications (both verbally and written) at all levels; to technical and non-technical audiences.

– Experience working in a matrixed team to ensure collaborations and effective operations across multiple organisations.

– Experience in project monitoring and control, data analysis, and presentation for executive review and decision making.

– Experience of coordinating activities across different partner organizations developing effective services. Desirable – Formal certification in ITIL Service Operations.

– Experience providing IT services, including deep field locations.

– Experience acting as an inter-agency IT focal point. – Solid understanding of application and infrastructure technologies used in IT systems and services supported by IT staff in the AoR. – Experience of operating in humanitarian or United Nations organizations, with field experience. – A good understanding of UN/UNHCR reforms and the priority agenda of the organization.

Functional Skills

*IT-IT Service Delivery Management IT-IT Collaboration & Communications Tools IT-IT Network Monitoring & Alerting Tools IT-IT Operations Management IT-IT Project, Program or Portfolio Management IT-IT Service Delivery Management Software IT-IT Systems and Standards IT-Microsoft Office Productivity Software (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential) ¿

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language. For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power. As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

The operation is targeting an experienced IT expert with strong background and a solution oriented knowledgeable in connectivity, telecommunications, security, digitization, etc…) in terms of IT and who can work under difficult environment to support activities and provide connectivity in remote area Capable of dealing with security telecoms that is very important in this region where GSM is not reliable at all. Training end users staff in remote areas with difficult access conversant with the local culture and language

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French

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Desired languages

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Operational context

Background information

The political and security crisis that the country has been experiencing since 2012 continues to generate flows of refugees and internally displaced persons, particularly in the central and northern regions (Mopti, Ségou, Timbuktu, Gao, Ménaka and Kidal), but also, to a lesser extent, in certain regions in the south of the country.

The forced displacements of Malian populations inside the country are not only caused by attacks and threats from terrorist groups and inter and intra-community conflicts, but also by the effects of climate action, including the drought which is extends to more than 80% of the regions with the corollary of a scarcity of water resources and an exponential increase in food needs (1.8 million people are at risk of severe food insecurity), as well as by the displacement of people who are victims of the slavery by descent (representing 5% of internally displaced persons), the majority of which are in the Kayes region.

There are several challenges, including: the destruction/closure of many public infrastructures, including civil registry centers, because of exactions by armed groups; the likely impact on local populations of ongoing discussions on the delimitation of Mali’s borders; the complex situation of long-standing refugees; and the low birth registration rate since the 2012 crisis, particularly among nomadic populations.

Since 2018, a new cycle of violence has worsened the situation and is causing forced displacement. As of April 30, 2020, the Population Movement Commission (CMP) recorded 250,998 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 565,905 internally displaced persons returned (cumulative figure since 2014) and 83,833 returnees from countries of asylum. In addition, 140,000 Malians are still refugees in Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, and Mali is also hosting 45,668 refugees and 1,063 asylum seekers. We believe in the ascending trend of the three categories of populations (refugees, IDPs and returnees) despite the open space policy for a safe asylum of Mali. The mixed flows of displacements observed since 2019 are due to the worsening of the political and security crisis, the various types of violence (tensions and community clashes) observed in the northern and central regions and the operations of armed actors in localities adjoining the borders of the Burkina Faso and Niger (Liptako-Gourma region).

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Security Considerations:

On a 1 to 6 overall security level scale, Bamako is at 4 (substantial) while the central and northern parts of the country are at 5 (high). The capital city is at the same security level as the Southern regions which is higher than those of the Western regions. Notwithstanding Bamako ‘s security level, staff are discouraged from using accommodations that are not recommended by UNDSS or renting apartments in unrecommended suburbs. All accommodations need to be approved, and residential security measures (RSM) implemented.

The capital city ‘s security level 4 rating hides high levels of security threats related to terrorism, civil unrest and criminality. Past incidents and frequent security threats demonstrate that these threats remain a concern. Recent attacks at Kati military barrack (15 km from Bamako) by extremist combatants, reported presence of sleeping cells of terrorist groups in Bamako highlight the intention to harm within Bamako. Furthermore, with a long-lasting socio-political crisis, demonstrations are recurrent in Bamako and other urban locations and are set to take place very often. Up regions, road movements remain the main challenge to the access of POCs due to asymmetric warfare of extremist groups. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and highway banditry are frequent. UN humanitarian agencies enjoy the broad acceptance by communities through their leaders, but criminals and Non-State Actors are beyond the control of the community leadership. Al Qaeda affiliated groups are present in the center of Mali (Mopti and Tombuktu) while the Islamic State in the Great Sahara operates mostly around Gao and Menaka, yet their demarcation lines of influence overlap very often.

The UN staff remain potential targets of crime, armed assaults, and robberies. The crime threats exist both in Bamako and elsewhere in Mali and are becoming more and more violent. Road Traffic accidents also represent a substantial threat with scores of careless ridings of motorcyclists and driving irresponsibility.

For additional information on occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

The “One Household, One Phone” project initiated by UNHCR consist in a hotline dedicated to people of concern to UNHCR at the national level is a partnership between the community based perfection unit and ICT. It will enable households with at-risk children, people with grave pathologies or disabilities, or other profiles deserving special attention, to maintain quasi-permanent contact with UNHCR and its partners. To maintain required communication equipment of this project, the support and close implication of ICT services is of high importance.

In this context, under the direct supervision of the Snr Administration and Finance Officer, the Associate ICT Officer (P2) will contribute to the design of the operation IT strategy in close consultation and collaboration with sub and field offices .

The candidate should

– have a good knowledge of UNHCR ICT procedures and relevant experience:
– be able to provide coaching and training to ICT staff and users.

– be able to draft procedures and instructions to promote a better understanding of the use of the ICT equipment

– assist/ advise offices in the recruiting and training of ICT staff and end user support.

– be ready to work in emergency and complex operation.

Living and Working Conditions:

The position is based in Bamako, a D non family duty station with good accommodation, public facilities/services and availability of amenities. Road conditions are relatively good for convenient travel around the city. The R&R (rest and recuperation) cycle is 8 weeks with Dakar as designated location.
Hot and dry weather conditions during the year. Most houses are equipped with diesel or electrically operated heating system.
there is a UN Clinic in Bamako and other private clinics avalable..
Bamako is security level 3 or 4 and the rest of the country security level 4 or 5. Generally the likelihood of security incidents is high in related area in the country. Demonstrations are observed many times during the year.

Road traffic accidents remain a pertinent risk to staff. Vehicle travel is difficult at certain times due to high level of road traffic going to the downtown in the morning and travel back from the downtown in the evening.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

BA: Computer Science (Required), BA: Information and Communication Technology (Required), BA: Information Systems (Required), BA: Project Management (Required)

Certifications

ITIL V3 Foundation Level – AXELOS Ltd, Project Management – Other

Work Experience

Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 3 to Bi-annual Compendium 2022 – Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance